Like the Dawn, You Broke the Dark

By the time I was 15 years old, I had moved to 5 different cities and been enrolled in 6 different schools. As you can imagine for a teenage girl, I had become closed off, angry, and emotionally disconnected. In August of 2009, I walked into another new school, with a heavy world on my shoulders...but I met a boy.  Another new student arriving to this new school on the exact same day that I did. His name was Tyler, we became friends, and he was quickly what I looked forward to every day. He was carrying his own heavy world, coming from a chaotic split home, just as angry and tired as I was. But somehow, our friendship, it just worked. We were close friends for a few years while in school together, then again, it was time for both of us to move. So we did. I went to Dallas TX, and Tyler moved to Galveston TX. I visited twice that year, but it was clear that we were on different paths. I was headed to college in the fall, and Tyler was on his way to serve in the U.S Navy. We said a very rough and tearful goodbye, and we were off.

I didn’t see Tyler for 3 years, random check-ins, but nothing long lasting, until one October when it all changed. “Ty” was coming home for a few days, and wanted to see me. Excited doesn’t begin to explain how I felt. I met him one evening, and we sat and talked for an entire night until early morning. We had 2 days together before Ty had to report to his new command in San Diego, CA. We spent every moment we could together, and said goodbye, again. Dated long distance for months. Random weekend flights when we could schedule it, but not near enough. Finally spring break was coming up that March of 2015 and I flew to San Diego. Tyler proposed, and it was the easiest “yes!” I’ve ever said. We were married at the courthouse in July of 2015. The best day. The military was a bit rougher start to our marriage, a lot of time apart, a surprise child born in July of 2016 that Ty was able to spend 10 days with before leaving again, almost a full year away from each other, but by God’s grace, we made it. We just always knew, somehow even through harder circumstances, family turmoil, heartaches and heartbreaks, we still had each other. We served as constant lights in each other’s lives.

When we heard “Like The Dawn” by The Oh Hellos, it was exactly what we felt. “Like the dawn, you broke the dark, and my whole earth shook.” Through all of our years, we’ve had highs and lows, because that’s just how life is, but I am so confident that there’s no one else I could walk through this life with.  We’ve had poor examples of love, and no example of marriage throughout our lifetimes, but here we are, figuring it out. Here we are a few years later - we are a happy family of 4 living back in Houston, TX. We have 2 beautiful sons, whose names I also wear proudly around my neck on my Tiny Tags, and now I get to stand by my incredible husband’s side every day, with the constant reminder of how much he has recovered the light in me, like the dawn, he broke the dark.